Chapter 10

A moment of solitude passes between the two in the room. Emily’s heart races in this unexpected situation, her face flushed bright red.

Slowly, Akito reaches out a hand toward Emily.

He gently brushes her neck and then slowly moves his hand to her cheek.

“…Nn…”

The sensation feels oddly ticklish, and sweet breaths escape her lips. Where Akito touches her, she feels a warm and tender heat.

However, embarrassed and unable to look directly at Akito’s face, Emily closes her eyes and endures the feeling. Just being touched like this is enough to make her feel overwhelmed.

“…I’ve never touched you like this before,” Akito mutters quietly. 

It’s true; it was always Emily who took the initiative, while Akito merely received her affection. He would sometimes reach out during shopping, but it was always Emily who made the advances.

“…Emily.”

“Ak—hiuh!”

He strokes her neck, causing her body to twitch at the unexpected sensation. Seeing this, Akito’s heart races even faster.

(… so cute…)

For just a moment, swept up in the moment, Akito moves his hand from her neck to gently caress her collarbone.

“Nn… Akito…”

Emily slowly opens her eyes and meets Akito’s gaze. Her eyes are slightly teary.

“…You’re so cute, Emily.”

“…A-Akito… Peinlich [it’s embarrassing]…”

“There’s no need to be embarrassed. Show me your face… I want to see more of your cute face.”

Emily tries to hide her face with her hands, but Akito stops her, firmly grasping her wrists and intertwining their fingers as he holds her down on the bed.

“…I’m sorry, Emily. I didn’t realize your feelings.”

“…Huh?”

Emily’s eyes widened in surprise at his sudden words.

“I looked it up a bit… and I found out that there’s no culture of confessing in Germany… It’s honestly embarrassing. I’ve been ignoring the feelings of someone as adorable and earnest as you.”

“A-Akito…?”

The rapid turn of events leaves Emily bewildered. By the way, it was Kanon who informed Akito about this cultural aspect earlier, and he had received a message from her not long ago.

“…I’m not good at picking up on subtle cues in the atmosphere… so I’ll just tell you directly, with words and actions.”

“A-Ak—”

Before she can finish, Akito gently seals her lips with his own. For a moment, Emily doesn’t register what’s happening, but once she realizes she’s being kissed, she becomes utterly flustered.

(A-kiss!? I’m kissing Akito…!?)

“Mmm… Mmm…”

The room fills with soft lip sounds and light smacking. Though it’s not a technically skilled kiss, it’s more than enough to convey Akito’s feelings.

“I like you, Emily. I love you. Will you marry me?”

“Wha—!?”

“Oh.”

It seems he may have rushed things a bit too much.